15-18’s Tsunami VolleyballRecruiting Seminar Presented by Justin and Sharon

Session Objectives• Summarize the recruitment process.• Examine the differences between Divisions I, II and III.• Learn practical steps to take to start the recruitment

process.• Identify specific strategies to enhance your player’s

visibility.• Develop an age-specific plan of action for your player.

The Destination…

Anticipation GuideInstructions: Read each of the following statements. Indicate TRUE or FALSE for each statement. After the session, we will revisit this document to see what we already knew and/or learned.

• If a player is “good enough”, she will be recruited.• Only the top players get recruited to play volleyball in college.• The most active time for recruitment is the Junior year of high school.• Getting a letter from a school means you are being recruited by that

school.• Getting a summer camp invite means you are being recruited by that

school.• The best clubs get their players recruited.

The Sobering Facts• While obtaining a scholarship to play volleyball at the highest level, or

even being asked to walk on to a Division I team, may appear commonplace…..it is anything but.

• According to the most recent participation data, 429,634 girls played volleyball in high school last fall.

• That makes 107,408 volleyball players in each class. We’ll also assume that those numbers remain relatively constant for the upcoming season.

• Chances of earning an NCAA Div. I scholarship = (Total # of Available Scholarships Available That Year divided by Total # of Participating VB Players In That Year) yields 0.00933, less than a 1% chance.

The Good News• The good news is that Division I volleyball isn’t the only volleyball being

played at the next level. • In addition to the 334 schools playing in Division I,

• there are 294 Division II programs, • 433 in Division III, • 221 playing NAIA, • 308 at the Junior College level, and • 188 “others,” mostly Christian-affiliated smaller schools.

That’s almost 1,800 colleges and universities in this country alone suiting up volleyball teams in the fall.

A Hat for Every Head

Percentage of high school athletes competing by NCAA Division

High School College %

competing

\

Varsity Sport

Girls * Women In College **

NCAA I NCAA II NCAA III NAIA NJCAA Other

Volleyball 429,634 26,570 6.2% 1.2% 1.1% 1.6% 0.9% 0.9% 0.5

Source: http://www.scholarshipstats.com/volleyball.htm

Luck is what happens

when preparation

meets opportunity.

Preparation through education• The Divisions of Volleyball: Division I,II,III, NAIA, Junior College

• Division I• Division I is very competitive and requires an extremely high commitment of time and effort • The season starts in August and runs through November• Off-season training through most spring and summer months• Teams limited to 12 athletes who can be on scholarship at any one time. Teams will typically carry 2-4

additional walk-on players. For fully-funded programs, a scholarship player receives a full scholarship, which includes the cost of tuition, room & board and books.

• Not all Division I programs are fully-funded. Some may only have eight or nine scholarships, in which case the school can split money up between players by giving partial scholarships. It can still only have twelve players receiving athletically-related money, however.

• Division II• Division II volleyball is high-level and competitive and a little less demanding than Division I• The season runs from August to November and there is spring training, though it is less extensive• Division II schools are permitted to divide the value of up to eight full scholarships among a larger

number of athletes. Many endow far fewer than eight scholarships, however. Division II programs get creative by stacking academic and need-based aid to get close to a full scholarship, but seldom does a Division II athlete get a “full ride.”

Preparation through education• The Divisions of Volleyball

• Division III• Division III schools tend to be smaller and many are focused principally on academics.• There are no athletic scholarships available, but schools are aggressive in creating academic and

aid-based packages to relieve the financial burden for their most prized recruits. • The season runs from late in August through November. There is a limited spring program for

some, none for others.• Typically more local travel schedule

• NAIA• The NAIA stands for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics• Most NAIA colleges and universities have some sort of religious affiliation. • More than 90 percent of NAIA institutions do offer athletic scholarships, but full scholarships are rare. • May combine athletic scholarship, school grants, and financial aid

Preparation through education• Identify schools that fall into each of the three Divisions in the regions

of the country where the player might want to go to school.• Research the schools, team, typical player “look”, majors, etc…. before

deciding which schools might be a good “fit”.

What is Fit and why is it Important?

Volleyball Program “Fit”• Definition of FIT-

• Adapted to the environment so as to be capable of surviving

The significance: “Fit” is a good predictor of contentment with the school and program.

• Player to self:• Do I like the campus?• Do I like the weather?• Does the school have my major?• Is the social scene what I desire?• Do I see a similar body type/size in the make-up of the current team?• Do I have a reasonable chance of getting playing time? • Is the program as competitive as I would like in its conference? • Would I want to stay if the coach leaves the program?

Now You’re educated… What’s next?•Put together a brief play video; KISS•Email the video link, bio sheet, and the tournament schedule to select coaches.

•Follow up with a phone call.•Don’t take it personal… it isn’t.•Try, try and try again until interest is identified.

Tips for Contacting Coaches • Do not “cold call” a coach if you haven’t sent them video or filled

out their recruiting questionnaire.• Script a message that you will leave if no one answers the call.• Plan 3-4 questions that you will ask.

• What are you looking for my recruitment year?• What do you look for in a recruit?• Where are you with recruiting for my class?

• Call back at least once after leaving a message.• Remember. Don’t take it personal… it isn’t.

Keep in Mind… NCAA Division I• Off-campus contacts are permitted on or after July 1 of the athlete’s

junior year• On or after Sept. 1 of an athlete’s junior year, colleges may make

unlimited telephone calls, engage in electronic correspondence (including text, email, Facebook messages, Twitter direct messages, etc.) and mail general printed correspondence (like media guides, newsletters, notecards, articles, and all kinds of other fun stuff).

• Before that date, the coach may only send camp brochures and recruiting questionnaires to complete.

Keep in Mind…NCAA Divisions II and III• Division II coaches may call beginning on June 15 before a player’s

junior year of high school and begin to send printed recruiting material on that date.

• Division III coaches may call a player at any time.• Division II and III coaches may have on-campus contact with a player

after her junior year of high school is complete.

How to enhance your Visibility

• Take the initiative in contacting College Coaches• Be proactive • Create a player profile on University Athlete and update it

regularly during the club season(www.universityathelete.com)

• Communicate, communicate, communicate

The Courtship- How To Measure Interest

Decide how much to pursue based on what is conveyed by the coach:

1. The school is interested.2. The school isn’t sure of its interest level.3. The school has no interest.

The Courtship

•When you are contacted by a school:• Respond favorably to as many schools as you can (email

a note with details about the season or the program).• Schedule regular check-ins (every 2-3 weeks during

club season) with the coach by sending updates on your team, your improvements, awards, clips, pictures, summer plans, etc…

• Remember, schools cast a very large net…………

15’s Next Steps• Speak with your Guidance Counselor and let her know that you would

like to pursue athletics after high school.• Learn the academic eligibility requirements with the NCAA Eligibility

Center• Identify schools of interest and educate yourself on their programs.• Complete the recruiting questionnaire on school websites.• Create and send a Bio sheet to the schools of interest.• Check the Tsunami Recruitment page every 1-2 weeks for recruitment

updates and information.• Talk with your parents about the possibility of attending several

College summer camps. • Develop your game.

16’s Next Steps

• Invite coaches to come and watch you play• Seek the input from high school and club coaches to identify your strengths and

weaknesses. Develop a plan to improve.• Start taking unofficial visits.• Determine if the schools you’ve targeted need your position your grad year.• Videotape games and select best clips to use in developing tournament videos. Upload

to YouTube.

• Call and email coaches with updates.• Check the Tsunami Recruitment page every 1-2 weeks for recruitment updates

and information.• Attend summer college camps. Be selective… quality vs. quantity.

17’s Next Steps

• Continue to send schedules and updates and begin more consistent correspondence with the college coaches. Become more aggressive with phone contact.

• Register with the Clearinghouse (can also be done as a sophomore).• Continue taking unofficial visits.• Update skills video, personal website, and stats.• Only attend summer camps of schools where you are a top 2 or 3 recruit.• Develop your game.

18’s Next Steps

• Continue to do what you did as a junior, showing ongoing interest andenthusiasm.• Take Official Visits, limit of five.• Update your profile with standardized test scores, athletic or

academic awards, and competition/showcase schedule for the season.

• Continue developing your game.

Parent Tips• Remember, this is a new and hard process for most players. • The recruitment process should be driven by the player. However, adjust

your level of support to your player’s needs.• Do not attempt to engage college coaches in conversation at tournaments.• More film is better than less film.• Be a source of encouragement for your player.• Guide them through their search of schools.• Help them set up a recruiting email: JaneDoe2020@email.com• Relax! Our attitudes are contagious.

Great Resources• NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete: www.ncaa.org• NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse: www.ncaaclearinghouse.net• National Athletic Intercollegiate Association: www.naia.org• USA Volleyball: www.usavolleyball.org• University Athlete: www.universityathlete.com• Prep Volleyball: www.prepvolleyball.com• National Letter of Intent: www.national-letter.org

Frequently Asked QuestionsQ-Do I need to subscribe to a recruitment service to increase my player’s chances of being recruited?

Q-Does my daughter have to play on a 1 team to get recruited?

Q-What if I’m not one to sign in November. Is there still an opportunity for me?

Q-Should I “fudge” my stats to gain initial interest from college coaches?

Q-Do I need a video? How do I get that out?

Let’s Revisit the Anticipation Guide....• If a player is “good enough”, she will be recruited.• Only the top players get recruited to play volleyball in college.• The most active time for recruitment is the Junior year of high school.• Getting a letter from a school means you are being recruited by that

school.• Getting a summer camp invite means you are being recruited by that

school.• The best clubs get their players recruited.

Questions?

Please complete the evaluation before leaving. Thank you.